Steve's Megasquirt/tunerstudio Help Thread

[90sickfox]

Finally had time to set my timing correctly....20 degrees fixed with 10 degrees offset. Now the car takes longer to start and my surging when warm has gotten a little worse. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I'm still in that huge learning curve. Here's a datalog and my current tune file

 

[a91what]

First thing I noticed is that the iac has no control over the idle. what I mean is that all the issues are timing/AFR related. the AFR is so erratic the car cant idle on its own.

Second thing WTF is going on with your AFR table??? I know I didn't build the tables I see for your VE and AFR. What happened bro?


This is a snip from the datalog you sent me. notice the bottom right table 8 is not an acceptable target unless your running E85 or alcohol........ and 12 is WAAAYYY to rich to try and idle at. You may want to reload the tune I built you. This one is defunct.

 

[a91what]

I understand they are different. Baro = elevation and the MAP = atmosphere vacuum/pressure

I will be calling DIYAutotune on Monday to ask what they use in the MSPNP2.

Drove the car 4-5 more times after rescaling everything running Autotune. Its getting a lot better, but after re-enabling AE its goes for a sec and then falls on its face (goes lean for about 2 sec) then goes back to normal. I assume I needed to add a little Taper time to compensate for the issue.

I took a few snips for you they outline how the AE and your BARO settings need to be set up
.

I hope these help.

 

[stanglx2002]

Do you get any off-idle stumbles going lean with this settings? I am having lean tip-in with these settings, but I have to redo my VE Table do to the findings of incorrect Map/Baro Calibration settings that came with the base tune. I currently disabled AE until I can get a better VE Table built. Do you agree that's best thoughts?

Thank you for your help. I do have a email into the DIY guys to see what they are using in the MSPNP2, since the Baro is still reading 80 with just the key "ON" not 100.

 

[a91what]

Do you get any off-idle stumbles going lean with this settings? I am having lean tip-in with these settings, but I have to redo my VE Table do to the findings of incorrect Map/Baro Calibration settings that came with the base tune. I currently disabled AE until I can get a better VE Table built. Do you agree that's best thoughts?

Thank you for your help. I do have a email into the DIY guys to see what they are using in the MSPNP2, since the Baro is still reading 80 with just the key "ON" not 100.

The baro settings are as above with the map set to 6400 and the baro set to the 4115... these numbers are from a tune I built for another member here.

Those AE settings are straight from my tune. The AE cannot be tuned correctly until you have the ve table tuned.

also the auto tune is only so accurate you will need to do some manual tuning. The best way to do this is to tune from a datalog

 

[stanglx2002]

I understand for sure that auto tune can only do so much. It kept wanting to lean out the 30-40 kpa range when decel, but it would then be too lean during normal slow driving. I found out that you are able to lock cells in auto tune, so that it cant change those cells. This also helped keep the decel as well as the idle areas unaffected.

For those that may not know how to do this. Highlight the cell in Auto Tune VE Table -> Right-click -> Lock Cells Selected (bottom of the list)

Do you use Closed-Loop Idle?

I am running an AOD (soon to change to 4R70W), but wanted to set my P or N rpm idle to the same as being in-gear. So my thought was to enable Closed-Loop Idle to bring up the rpms for when you put it in gear R or D. Wasnt sure if you have been able to get this to work. I currently have been able to make a solid idle in Open-Loop by setting the idle in gear, but this makes the P or N idle a lot higher, and problematic during warm-up/hot starts since its in a higher part of the VE Table making it rich.

 

[a91what]

Closed loop idle is simple to setup but difficult to pin down.

I can screen shot some settings for you when I have time.

 

[a91what]

I have a link on this thread to my YouTube channel I made a video outlining most of the settings in ts.

 

[stanglx2002]

Steve, I would like to thank you very much for all your help. I know I have been a pain with all the questions I have been firing at you.

I would like to take you up on the screen shot of only the "Idle Adaptive Advance Timing" as I did watch your video on YouTube which gave me the other settings I needed. Also could you explain how to identify the closed/open duty settings for the stock IAC Valve? I read the help "?" and it doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[a91what]

The Ford iac works well with 0 and 100% for closed and open.

However you could also go into open loop idle called the "warm up valve "

Here you can adjust the duty cycle of the iac and denote the change in idle speed. Once you have determined the duty cycle that the valve has effect on idle speed. you use those numbers for the open and closed %'s in closed loop.


Or you can use 0 and 100

 

[hoopty5.0]

Or you can use 0 and 100

sumabish I've been looking for this answer for almost 2 years now. The damn thing sounds like a goose

Edit* Like this?

 

[a91what]

Negative sir.

The 0 and 100 are for closed loop idle.

When setting up the warmup valve you simply play with the duty cycle until it idles at the RPM you desire.

For example
30% may be 700rpm
60% 1000
100% 1200

 

[a91what]

Your "goose" is most likely the HZ setting is too high or to low.

Ford iac likes around 300 HZ

But the one from the Explorer seems to like 400.

Play with this setting until it stops screaming at you.

 

[Noobz347]

Play with this setting until it stops screaming at you.

Doesn't work. They will just continue to scream until they're tired.

Might work on the iac though.

 

[stanglx2002]

Steve, I would like to thank you very much for all your help. I know I have been a pain with all the questions I have been firing at you.

I would like to take you up on the screen shot of only the "Idle Adaptive Advance Timing" as I did watch your video on YouTube which gave me the other settings I needed. Also could you explain how to identify the closed/open duty settings for the stock IAC Valve? I read the help "?" and it doesn't make any sense to me.

Steve, do you mind helping with this. I am planning on trying to get Closed-Loop to work this weekend and the YouTube video you did this is the only screen I didnt see.

 

[a91what]

Steve, do you mind helping with this. I am planning on trying to get Closed-Loop to work this weekend and the YouTube video you did this is the only screen I didnt see.

Yes patience my friend. 14-16 hour days for me right now. Rewiring entire control system on a roller coaster.

 

[stanglx2002]

Yes patience my friend. 14-16 hour days for me right now. Rewiring entire control system on a roller coaster.

Holy Crap!!!! A roller coaster...take your time then

 

[hoopty5.0]

I'm at a loss here. I'm going to list this out as logically as I can to hopefully pull an answer out of this air.

Causes:
- unknown

Effects:
- Car will not run with the spout removed, verified no spark to plugs
- Spout in, car runs, however timing is off.
- Timing fixed in Tunerstudio to 20° -- timing retards with RPM (idles at 20°, drops from there)
- Timing set to "use table" in Tunerstudio -- timing advances with RPM (idles at 17°, increases from there)

Trouble shooting:
- Switched TFI modules - no change
- Removed "+12v start" from TFI module - no change
- Adjusted latency in ignition settings to values varying between 0-50 - no change


I'm going to do some research on TFI trouble shooting this morning and see what I come up with.

Edit* TFI troubleshooting guides:

View: https://www.scribd.com/document/171558397/Ford-Ranger-Bronco-II-TFI-Ignition-Diagnostics-pdf

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I'm at a loss here. I'm going to list this out as logically as I can to hopefully pull an answer out of this air.

Causes:
- unknown

Effects:
- Car will not run with the spout removed, verified no spark to plugs
- Spout in, car runs, however timing is off.
- Timing fixed in Tunerstudio to 20° -- timing retards with RPM (idles at 20°, drops from there)
- Timing set to "use table" in Tunerstudio -- timing advances with RPM (idles at 17°, increases from there)

Trouble shooting:
- Switched TFI modules - no change
- Removed "+12v start" from TFI module - no change
- Adjusted latency in ignition settings to values varying between 0-50 - no change


I'm going to do some research on TFI trouble shooting this morning and see what I come up with.

I believe that when I remove the spout from my ignition, the car won't run either.
But,...
What's the problem?
You want the timing to advance w/ RPM. You also want it to retard w/ boost.

As long as it is advancing to your top table settings, and isn't arbitrarily retarding when not in boost,....this would be another "mystery" that I'd just allow to go un-solved.

 

[hoopty5.0]

I believe that when I remove the spout from my ignition, the car won't run either.
But,...
What's the problem?
You want the timing to advance w/ RPM. You also want it to retard w/ boost.

As long as it is advancing to your top table settings, and isn't arbitrarily retarding when not in boost,....this would be another "mystery" that I'd just allow to go un-solved.

The problem with the car not running with the spout out is that you really can't accurately set your base timing without completely removing the computer control. Removing the spout reverts you to "base timing" in which you use your timing light and rotate the distributor until it reads 10°. From that point, you go into TS and set it to 10 degrees and adjust the offset until the timing light reads 10° again. ...I can't do that. For some reason, removing the spout kills all spark.

The other problem is that when timing is fixed, it should not be retarding with rpm. It should be ...fixed. My concern is that while the rpm does advance somewhat with rpm when using the table, it's not advancing enough - as in whatever is causing the rpm to retard when fixed is doing the same when reading from the table, thus not giving me enough timing when it is under boost. Yes, it needs to retard, but I think it is retarding too much.